Page 27 of Consort of the Dragon King

“When was the last time you saw him?”

Kitsuki took a moment to reflect. “Probably about fifty years ago? We both attended the Royal Consort Fatebonding ceremony of the king and queen of Alsari. As they are our closest ally, I could not refuse the invitation, which is the exact reason Nasume showed up.”

Auslin’s stomach sank. “And I’m assuming he didn’t behave himself?”

Kitsuki scowled. “He made his usual overtures, but it was in vain. My sense of disgust with Nasume from back then has only continued to grow between then and now. You have nothing to fear from him. My devotion to you has always been and will always be singular.”

“Good.” Auslin didn’t like the thought of Nasume trying to interfere in their relationship again. “I’d be fine if he disappeared from the Living Realm, too.”

“At least I understand now why you had such an aversion to Nasume in the past. It is almost too much irony that Maseo is Nasume’s son.”

“Except I didn’t realize back then because I didn’t know who Nasume was or that he was Maseo’s father. I thought it was a coincidence they were both wolf shifters from the same area.” Auslin sighed as he rubbed the underside of Hibiki’s chin. The fire dragon spirit nuzzled against him. “Sometimes, I wish Maseo was as easy to hate as Nasume.”

“It is shocking you do not hate Maseo for constantly cheating with Kio. I did not think anyone’s heart could be so forgiving.”

“I’m sure from Maseo’s perspective, I’m the awful interloper ruining their relationship. He would be well within his rights to hate me for interfering.”

Kitsuki’s nostrils flared as he tried to figure out Auslin’s mood from his scent. “And that makes you sad?”

“I’d rather be his friend than have him hate me,” Auslin said after a long pause. “It bothers me thinking of him allalone out there, especially knowing how much Nasume hates him. Everyone deserves to be with someone who loves them unconditionally. I can’t be that person for him, but I want him to be happy. He’s been too sad and alone for too long.”

“And you believe I am too understanding.” Kitsuki shook his head. “Your heart is truly remarkable for being able to forgive Maseo for what he has put you through over the years.”

“But that’s just it. It’s not Maseo who put me through anything. It’s Kio. Maseo and I were both collateral damage to Kio’s desires.”

“You say that, but Maseo has some amount of culpability in that situation,” Kitsuki insisted. “He was aware Kio has moved on to you and yet he always made himself available to my foolish half brother’s advances.”

Auslin hesitated before continuing. “Like I mentioned at dinner, the same could be said of me. I knew Kio clearly wasn’t over his breakup with Maseo, but I stubbornly insisted on trapping him in the shell of our relationship, forcing him into cheating as his only option to be with Maseo.”

“Kio does not deserve your kind understanding,” Kitsuki vehemently insisted, his bitterness toward his half brother on full display.

“Maybe so, but Maseo doesn’t deserve blind hatred for being unable to leave a broken relationship any more than I do,” Auslin said. “Even knowing now that he’s Nasume’s son, I still don’t hate him because they’re nothing alike. You’ve met him, so you know that’s true.”

“He may not behave the same as his horrible excuse for a father, but he still?—”

Auslin gently interrupted him. “Maseo is not automatically a bad person because his father is the worst. And maybe I’m stupid for feeling some kind of kinship with him over both of us being used against the other and knowing Maseo surely hurt as much as I did every time Kio strayed. But I know his heart is good. If we had met for a different reason, Maseo and I could have been great friends.”

Kitsuki continued to struggle with the concept. “What could possibly make you say that?”

“Because it’s Maseo’s kindness that kept him trapped in his relationship with Kio the same way mine did,” Auslin answered. “Maseo’s heart tells me he is not his father’s son. His problem is he’s too good for the likes of Kio. I can only hope Kio was telling the truth and Maseo broke up with him for good.”

Kitsuki reached over to caress Auslin’s hair. “Most people would not understand such a situation, let alone be so accepting of it.”

Auslin tried to explain it in a way Kitsuki could understand. “It would be like me judging Kisano by Mitsuki’s behavior. They’re related by blood, but they could not be two more different people. I would have missed out on a great friendship if I had prejudiced myself against Kisano by association with Mitsuki. For me, there is no difference in not judging Maseo based on his blood relation to Nasume.”

When Kitsuki continued to sit in a stunned silence, Auslin felt the need to fill the space with noise. “Besides, I had no idea who Nasume was before I went through Fate’s Gate, so I didn’t learn about their connection until Kio told both of us. Maseo has been his own person in my mind for so long that I can’t make myself go back and write him off by proxy to his asshole father.Especially since, from what I understand, Maseo and Nasume have an awful relationship.”

“Yes, it is well known Nasume abhors his half-shifter son,” Kitsuki admitted.

“Then is it any wonder that Maseo clung to Kio in search of acceptance of any kind?” Auslin questioned. “If he had no love at home, of course he held on tightly to the twisted bond he shared with Kio, awful as it may have been.”

Kitsuki sighed. “The irony is Maseo was denied love and became a decent person while Kio, who had the deep affection of both his parents, became an abomination does not escape me.”

Auslin looked up at the sky with a sad sigh. “But I suppose it is all good training for the future.”

“What do you mean?”

“There always has to be another,” Auslin explained with a heavy heart.

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